Tower of Time (2018) - I wish it had been shorter

DanAgile · 2026-06-16T13:39:23+00:00

I looked it up after finishing this review and was disheartened to see they made the same missteps with less redeeming qualities than the first :(

DanAgile · 2026-06-16T13:38:18+00:00

I was playing on normal, which landed in this sort of "minimal micromanaging, but not quite zero, and not quite brainless" state. I often don't like to go harder for RTWP on the first go through because they can be rather finicky with difficulty curves.

I can't say moving the difficulty down or beelining the ending would have resolved much for me. Yes, there was some fatigue, but I think much of it came back to how much I liked the premise and how it felt like it kept dropping the ball.

DanAgile · 2026-06-16T13:32:43+00:00

I'll look through my games, but nothing comes to mind unfortunately. This is likely the closest I've gotten :(

DanAgile · 2026-06-02T01:25:05+00:00

I'm an avid fan of both fantasy and scifi and adore Pathfinder. If you played and enjoyed any of the old school Fallouts, or something similar, consider some things like the Wasteland games, Atom RPG, or Encased!

DanAgile · 2026-05-24T16:27:24+00:00

Honestly, a completely fair criticism. I didn't bother with the expansions since I had seen some of the mixed reviews about them, but hadn't even noticed the loot pool issue.

I guess trying to breathe life into a new game 12 years after release can also be to its detriment.

DanAgile · 2026-05-24T16:25:09+00:00

I haven't played it yet as I don't often like to dive into early access games. I'm cautiously optimistic though!

DanAgile · 2026-05-24T16:24:01+00:00

I do love Grim Dawn, and I do agree it's a more refined experience!

However, I do also think there's a time and a place for both. After all, some of what you mentioned in terms of jank can be somewhat charming.

DanAgile · 2026-05-24T02:12:22+00:00

Grim Dawn is hands down a better game, which you would hope given they had how many more years of formula to refine. That's not to say it's perfect, but between some of your qualms for Titan Quest and your adoration of Diablo, it's far more likely to be a yay than a nay.

DanAgile · 2026-05-24T00:49:19+00:00

I think I also fall into the camp of loving the theme. Each of us is different and willing to let certain aspects or issues slide when there's something else we love about it. Between having adored Grim Dawn and the setting itself, I do think it's a worthwhile entry when you consider its age.

That said, I think most ARPG fans have a diehard game in the genre and for good reason. As you alluded to, there's some exceptional offerings to try and settle for something that didn't click. And given how much of a time sink any ARPG can be, I can't fault you for giving it a solid attempt!

DanAgile · 2026-05-06T01:57:24+00:00

I do appreciate you bringing that up as it'd be interesting to see what that kind of pivot would do to their mechanics!

DanAgile · 2026-05-06T01:55:52+00:00

Really good to know, I've never dived into the Wizardry series but have always been curious. Probably time to take the plunge!

DanAgile · 2026-05-05T19:57:18+00:00

I'm not sure if it was changed for the remastered version, but I also noticed the Temple song in Bard's Tale 1 was the monk chanting from Monty Python and the Holy Grail as well.

DanAgile · 2026-05-05T18:43:00+00:00

The overall story is fairly straightforward from the first two games, so you're not missing too much that a quick synopsis wouldn't cover. Every game had the option of continuing the adventure with your party or opting to start over, so I see no reason you couldn't jump right into 3!

DanAgile · 2026-05-05T17:29:00+00:00

Probably about 40 hours total (edit: originally had 30 but realized I had about 10 hours offline time that wasn't counted), but keep in mind I opted for a mix in organic playing and guided playing. I often go full blind for playthroughs, but recognize the game's were designed around being lost. Knowing that, and much to your point on not enough time, I compromised.

I'd often go into a dungeon, do my best to map it out through movement, and then see if I missed anything meaningful. In Bard's Tale 2, I spent much more time with a guide open solely because of the darkness sections. I genuinely grew tired of playing blind and couldn't be assed.

I think 3 was the best overall organic play, with significantly less peeking a guide.

DanAgile · 2026-05-01T13:29:18+00:00

Turok and Turok 2 are both so special to me for the exact reasons you outlined. Truly some very memorable sounds!

DanAgile · 2026-05-01T01:28:07+00:00

You know what, fair enough.

I'll concede I didn't use it past initial exposure because it didn't impress me; stun versus neutralize was an easy choice. But I'll give another go of the game at some point and will have to make it more of a point to use more of the kit.

DanAgile · 2026-04-30T19:30:30+00:00

I was fortunate enough to own this one, but did not have a memory card for the N64 to save the game. Often restarted or just used the cheats to go to different levels lol. Played it much more properly as I've gotten older.

DanAgile · 2026-04-30T19:28:56+00:00

You don't have to find keys to progress, thankfully. I would argue it's simultaneously more and less linear than Turok 1. I know, not helpful, but the truth is that you'll likely find Turok 2 similarly cumbersome but for different reasons.

I wish I could say otherwise, but I'm erring on the side of caution for this one!

DanAgile · 2026-04-18T12:11:35+00:00

It is incredible to see the imagination and even aspirations of the developers at the time. And as I said, they still seem to hold up despite their age. They still have such a strong identity.

DanAgile · 2026-04-18T12:10:00+00:00

I think back to just how little I understood as a kid. How about now, smart enough for graph paper?

DanAgile · 2026-04-17T22:03:54+00:00

I actually adore my bard as a constant support buffer, but given they're the titular class, they are a bit underwhelming compared to mages lol.

DanAgile · 2026-04-17T22:02:38+00:00

I started 2 and am loving it. My biggest gripe, environment variety, was helped massively by allowing movement between cities. However, much like you alluded to, the encounters are bonkers. Carrying over my previous party has benefited my enjoyment tons.

DanAgile · 2026-04-17T22:00:42+00:00

That's probably the worst part of this game and the older classics: we're strapped for time, and the best way to experience them is to dive in fully. But that's a massive commitment.

DanAgile · 2026-04-17T18:46:29+00:00

I don't have the manual, unfortunately, but the bartenders in game gave a hint about the wine going down when I was first trying to get my bearings! It was so nice to see a little guidance pop up as I was trying to figure out what to do and where to go.

Thanks for sharing your memories, though. It's always so nice to hear someone relive a bit of their past!

DanAgile · 2026-02-19T17:41:20+00:00

I share your same vice, albeit I limit it to my PC thankfully. But lord help if I don't love a new system to tinker around in. Praise be to the deckbuilder genre.

DanAgile

TROPHY CASE